1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a water treatment apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a multi-stage water treatment apparatus. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a multi-stage water treatment apparatus for producing potable water.
2. Prior Art
As disclosed in the above referred to co-pending application, a need exists for water treatment systems that remove organic, inorganic, radiological, and microbiological contaminants from water, thereby rendering the water suitable for human consumption. The co-pending application teaches a water treatment apparatus that removes these contaminants by passing the water through a housing comprising two chambers, each of which contains a plurality of layers of treatment materials; these treatment materials include silver impregnated activated carbon, activated carbon, iodine resin, and a mixed bed of cationic and anionic resins. While the water treatment apparatus of the co-pending application is efficacious, further experimentation has revealed that its usefulness may be improved by adding more and different layers of treatment material in different configurations, and by enabling continuous, as well as batch, filtration.
The present invention provides a water treatment apparatus which removes a broad range of contaminants and which may be gravity fed or pressure fed. The water to be treated may be derived from any source, including ponds, lakes, condensation such as that from an air conditioner, etc.
The apparatus hereof, generally, comprises:
(a) a first housing portion comprising:
(i) a top surface, the top surface having a water inlet formed therein;
(ii) a cylindrical sidewall integrally formed with the top surface and depending therefrom;
(iii) a bottom surface integral with the sidewall and extending therefrom, the bottom surface having a recess formed therein, the recess having a plurality of holes formed therein, the holes defining means for providing a long dwell time;
(b) a second housing portion comprising: a cylindrical side wall having an upper edge and terminating at a housing outlet;
(c) means for detachably connecting the first housing portion and the second housing portion such that the recess of the first housing portion is housed within the second housing portion;
(d) at least one treatment section disposed within the first housing portion;
(e) at least one treatment section disposed within the second housing portion;
(f) at least one porous separator disposed in each housing portion, the at least one porous separator removing impurities from water and regulating water flow through each of the treatment sections; and
wherein water flows into the water inlet, through each of the treatment sections in at least one of the housing portions, through the at least one porous separator, and exits at the housing outlet.
The claimed invention presents a water treatment apparatus that removes organic, inorganic, radiological, and microbiological contaminants from water.
In a first sediment hereof, in order to ensure complete treatment of the water fed into the system, the water treatment apparatus includes a plurality of housing portions, ranging from at least two up to about six housing portions, that are sealably, removable connected, the housing portions being separable depending on the quality of the incoming water. Disposed within each housing portion is at least one treatment section. In a two-housing portion array, preferably, a first housing portion includes a xe2x80x9cHalogen Removal and pH Neutralization Sectionxe2x80x9d and a xe2x80x9cMicrobiological Treatment Section,xe2x80x9dand a second housing portion includes an xe2x80x9cIodine Removal Section xe2x80x9d and an xe2x80x9cOrganic, Inorganic, and Radiological Removal Section.xe2x80x9d The first housing portion is separable from the second portion and, depending on the quality of the water to be treated, may be bypassed, thereby passing water through only the second housing portion, if there are few enough contaminants in water entering the system that the treatments of the first and second sections are not needed.
In a six-housing portion array, preferably, a first housing portion includes a xe2x80x9cPretreatment Sectionxe2x80x9d; a second housing portion includes a xe2x80x9cMicrobiological Treatment Sectionxe2x80x9d; a third housing portion includes an xe2x80x9cIodine Dwell Sectionxe2x80x9d; a fourth housing portion includes an xe2x80x9cIodine Removal Sectionxe2x80x9d; a fifth housing portion includes a xe2x80x9cpH Neutralization and Organic Removal Sectionxe2x80x9d; and a sixth housing portion includes an xe2x80x9cInorganic and Radiological Removal Section.xe2x80x9d The housing portions are all separable from each ether and, depending on the quality of the water to be treated, any may be bypassed, thereby passing water through only the remaining housing portions, if there are few enough contaminants in water entering the system that the treatments of various sections are not needed.
The source of water may be a water supply tank which gravity feeds the apparatus hereof. Alternatively, a forcing means such as a pump or a faucet attachment with a flow regulator may be used to force water through the treatment sections. Water is fed into the forcing means by a connection to any source of water, including a condenser of an air conditioner, a vehicle radiator, a natural source such as a lake or pond, brackish water, etc. The forcing means forces water from the water source through the treatment housings, where treatment occurs as described hereinabove.
In a second embodiment hereof, the housing portions are separate and distinct and are interconnected by fluid delivery conduits. In this embodiment, the water to be treated is forced through the system by forcing means, such as a pump, a faucet attachment with a slow regulator, or the like. As in the first embodiment, water is fed into the forcing means by a connection to any source of water, including a condenser of an air conditioner, a vehicle radiator, a natural source such as a lake or pond, brackish water, etc. The forcing means forces water from the water source through the treatment housings, where treatment occurs as described hereinabove.
In each embodiment, water flows into the treatment housing through the housing inlet, passes through the water treatment media, the filtering media, and the water flow control media, eventually passing out of the housing via the housing outlet.
The present invention will be more clearly understood with reference to the accompanying drawings. Throughout the figures, like reference numerals refer to like parts in which: